Controversial split decision stuns nation

Filipino boxing idol Manny Pacquiao outpunches American Timothy Bradley Jr. (left) but still loses his WBO welterweight title at MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, in a highly controversial and unpopular split decision. AFP

The Philippines fell silent on Sunday after its boxing superstar, Manny Pacquiao, lost his World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight crown to American challenger Timothy Bradley Jr. in a controversial split decision.

Filipinos in cinemas, hotels, public parks and even Army bases across the country were shocked, too numb to react as Pacquiao, winner of titles in eight world boxing divisions, tasted his first defeat since March 2005.

Then they erupted into boos and flashed the thumbs down to show their displeasure. Many shouted, “Manny was cheated.”

Pacquiao’s defeat by split decision at MGM Grand ended his impressive seven-year unbeaten run that turned him into a boxing superstar and a national hero in the Philippines.

Judge Jerry Roth scored the bout 115-113 for Pacquiao, while C.J. Ross and Duane Ford both saw it 115-113 for Bradley, even though it appeared Pacquiao hurt Bradley throughout the fight—particularly with his straight left hand.

Pacquiao fell to 54-4-2 with 38 wins inside the distance, suffering his first defeat since he dropped a 12-round unanimous decision to Erik Morales in March 2005.

‘Luto’

“Luto,” most boxing fans cried. “Luto” is Filipino for “rigged,” and that’s how most Filipinos saw the decision.

“Pacman never loses,” Rosemarie Labandero said, referring to Pacquiao by his moniker. “It’s obvious. He hurt the American really bad.”

Labandero, a barangay (village) health worker in Barangay San Antonio, Pasig City, said she wanted to see a rematch.

In the same village, Rodger Gonzaga, a retired government employee, said even the children who watched the fight on a television at the barangay hall did not believe Bradley defeated Pacquiao.

“By the looks of it, business and profit are still behind boxing,” Gonzaga said. “Apart from Floyd Mayweather Jr., Pacquiao has no one to fight. Losing to Bradley meant good business for them.”

“This is clearly highway robbery,” Senator Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada, who was at ringside in Las Vegas, told local radio in Manila by phone. “Pacquiao clearly had more hits.”

“Luto,” said Representative Joseph Victor Ejercito of San Juan, one of Pacquiao’s colleagues in the House of Representatives who could not believe he lost the fight.

“It’s obvious that Pacquiao was ahead (on points),” Ejercito said. “I can’t see how he lost.”

“Hao shao,” Representative Amado Bagatsing said. “Bradley is just a challenger and Pacquiao is barely scratched.”

Bagatsing said all the statistics favored Pacquiao. “There’s something fishy about this,” he said. “No wonder the crowd was booing the decision.”

Representative Juan Edgardo Angara said Filipinos still considered Pacquiao the people’s champion. “No amount of flawed judging or boxing politics can change that,” he said. “Everyone knows who won the fight.”

Mommy Dionisia: Rematch

In General Santos City, Pacquiao’s hometown, his mother, Dionisia, said she believed her son was robbed of victory.

“I’m going to watch the replay. I failed to see it live because I was in deep prayer,” she said. “But I was informed by my daughter, Liza, and also by my friends that my son was robbed of the victory.”

Dionisia has always been asking her son to retire. But this time, she said she wanted a rematch between her son and Bradley. “He can retire later. He must avenge this loss,” she said.

Mayor Darlene Antonino-Custodio, who defeated Pacquiao when he first ran for a seat in the House of Representatives, remained in her seat after the fight and refused to grant interviews until after Pacquiao had finished his television interview.

“I was shocked,” Custodio said. “Almost everybody here was shocked by the result.”

She said the city would still give Pacquiao a hero’s welcome despite his loss.

“Deep in our hearts, he is still our champion,” Custodio said.

“We were robbed. Everybody saw that Bradley was hit more,” said Raphael Raboy, 37, a laborer who was among hundreds who watched a free live telecast of the bout in the suburban Marikina district.

Raboy and his friends left the area shoulders hunched while the partisan crowd was shocked into silence.

Soldiers frustrated

At Camp Aguinaldo’s gymnasium in Quezon City, hundreds of soldiers and their families quickly but quietly filed out right after the decision was announced.

Grown quiet in the final rounds of the fight, the soldiers did not bother to watch the postfight interviews. Pacquiao is a lieutenant colonel in the reserve force, and troops watch his fights on bases across the country.

“So this is how it feels when Pacquiao loses,” said Colonel Arnulfo Burgos Jr., the military’s spokesperson.

General Jessie Dellosa, the military’s Chief of Staff who watched the fight in the gym, said the soldiers felt “frustrated.”

“You can see it in the faces of our soldiers,” Dellosa said.

Still, he said, the military felt proud of Pacquiao. “You are one of us and you are a source of inspiration for our soldiers [because of] your bravery and warrior spirit.”

An American firefighter on holiday in Manila said he had counted out Bradley in the early rounds, but thought he regained his footing in the later rounds.

“Thank you, Manny. Let me have your coldest drinks now to celebrate,” he said, after claiming his winnings from a bet at Manila’s Oarhouse pub.

Aquino consoles public

President Benigno Aquino sought to console the public, stressing that Pacquiao remained a treasured sporting icon despite the loss.

“Manny is still our one and only People’s Champ and we are proud of him,” his deputy spokesperson, Abigail Valte, said in a statement issued after the fight.

“Despite losing his WBO welterweight belt against Timothy Bradley Jr., our support for him has not wavered,” Valte said.

Vice President Jejomar Binay said Pacquiao remained an inspiration for the Filipinos people despite his loss.

“Manny fought hard,” Binay said in a statement. “He has shown the true heart of a champion.”

Senate Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III could not hide his frustration over the questionable defeat of Pacquiao. “Bradley was waving a rematch fight ticket for November since a few days ago,” he said by phone.

“I sensed something was wrong when I found out from my Las Vegas sources that the odds suddenly dropped an hour before the event started. Many placed bets at the last minute (in favor of Bradley),” he said.

“Eh kasi naman ang daming nagpapa-uto! Panahon pa ni Marciano laging may say ang mga promoters in the outcome,” Sotto said.

Automation

Sotto called for automation of boxing bouts, as in fencing.

“We should go electronic to do away with human intervention and error,” he said. “Of course, the boxing promoters will oppose this since they will not have a say (in the fixing of the results). It should be scientific to become a credible sport, and not a sport where gladiators kill each other.”

Senator Aquilino Pimentel III said Pacquiao “will always be the champion to us, his party mates in PDP-Laban.”

Senator Gregorio Honasan said he did not agree with the decision just like all Filipinos and most boxing fans all over the world. “But Manny is and will always be the People’s Champ,” he said.

Senator Francis Pangilinan said Pacquiao had nothing to be ashamed of. “This controversial loss doesn’t diminish in any way what he has accomplished as a boxer,” he said. “He is still a winner and a boxing hero for us all.”

“I say this to Manny Pacquiao: Once a champion always a champion,” Senator Pia Cayetano said in a text message. “[The] respect and adoration of Filipinos for you will continue.”

In Baguio City, heavy rain failed to stop Pacquiao’s fans from gathering on Abanao Street to watch the fight on television. They cheered as Pacquiao outboxed Bradley, and jeered when the decision was announced.

“I can’t believe Pacquiao lost. I can’t accept it,” Jose Banaag, 64, said.

Joe Kamandag said Pacquiao was cheated. “It’s obvious,” he said. “Pacquiao consistently hit Bradley, then Bradley will win? They cheated Manny because he fought an American. Cheaters!”

Mafia did it

Albay Governor Joey Salceda also believed Pacquiao was cheated. He said a Las Vegas mafia manipulated the decision. For him, there must be a rematch.

In Iloilo City, customers jammed Breakthrough Restaurant in Arevalo District and cheered as Pacquiao hammered away at Bradley. But they fell silent when the decision was announced. Then they left, unlike in previous Pacquiao fights when they stayed to celebrate even after eating.

The mood was the same in other parts of the Visayas. After recovering from the shock brought on by the decision, people booed and declared Pacquiao was cheated.

Most of the 3,000 boxing fans who watched the fight at Cebu City Coliseum shouted their disagreement with the decision. They said Pacquiao was cheated, said Ben Tulda, the coliseum manager.

WBO light flyweight champion Donnie Nietes, who is from Negros Occidental, said he believed Pacquiao won the fight. He said Pacquiao dominated the fight from the first to the ninth round and should have won even if the last three rounds belonged to Bradley.

“It looks like the mafia was involved,” Nietes said. “They made him lose.”

Weakened by change?

Some Filipinos thought, however, that Pacquiao had been weakened by the changes in his personal life.

Pacquiao said he had given up drinking and gambling. He took up Bible studies and turned to preaching.

For Ricky Santa Isabel of Caloocan City who watched a telecast of the fight at Araneta Coliseum in Cubao, Quezon City, that must have affected Pacquiao’s will to fight.

“Maybe his being a Christian has softened him,” Santa Isabel said.

Time to retire?

Fr. Robert Reyes, the so-called running priest, said Pacquiao should retire and concentrate on preaching.

“Boxing is incompatible with discipleship,” Reyes said. “Jesus is nonviolent. He counsels us that rather than striking another, we should offer the other cheek.”

Reyes added, “Without gloves, he can better leaf through the Bible.”

But Fr. Joey Faller, the popular priest healer and administrator of the Kamay ni Hesus shrine in Lucban, Quezon, said losing was part of Pacquiao’s spiritual purification.

Still, Faller said he wanted to see a rematch between Pacquiao and Bradley.

He said he was not inclined to advise Pacquiao to retire. “I want him to have a return bout with Bradley and then fight for a megabuck career ending bout with [Floyd] Mayweather Jr.” Reports from Dona Z. Pazzibugan, Christine Avendaño, Gil Cabacungan, Michael Lim Ubac, Gerry Esplanada, Cathy Yamsuan, Niña Calleja and Julie M. Aurelio in Manila; Desiree Caluza, Gabriel Cardinoza, Villamor Visaya Jr., Maurice Malanes and Richard Balonglong, Inquirer Northern Luzon; Delfin Mallari Jr. and Rey Nasol, Inquirer Southern Luzon; Nestor P. Burgos Jr., Carla P. Gomez and Jhunnex Papallacan, Inquirer Visayas; and Aquiles Z. Zonio, Frinston Lim, Julie S. Alipala, Edwin O. Fernandez, Rosa May de Guzman-Maitem, Inquirer Mindanao; AP and Reuters